Show bant APR h e t AM 7 e ti amman by C NANNING CHANNING C copyright channing Chann lne pollock POLLOCK SYNOPSIS the duke barry gilbert likable youth of 0 twenty three jobless and broke enters an unoccupied summer home in southampton seeking shelter from a storm H he makes himself at home doz ing at it the fireplace he Is 13 startled by the arrival of a butler willetts Wll letts and chauffeur evans ho he learns that the son of the owner of the house jack ridder bidder whom the servants had never ten seen la is expected lie he decides to blutt bluff it t out his supposed parents have left for or germany next morning he Is given A letter for or his mother he opens it and finds a message from the real jack saying he could not come and returning a hundred dollar bill the boys father had pensioned him into obscurity barry pockets the money intending to return it later ho he orders evans to take lim to montauk intending to disappear I 1 there here on tho the way he meets judge gambl dge and his daughter patricia pel leving he Is jack ridder she invites him alm to dinner the following thursday barry returns to southampton deciding to stay a bit longer mr ridder sr through his newspaper the globe accuses judge hambidge of taking orders from tammany hall in a condemnation proceeding barry meets peter winslow prominent attorney winslow tells barry that judge hambidge had seen an accident in which a woman was killed by a taxicab at home barry finds the wife of the real jack ridder awaiting him her husband is in jail in new york charged with the murder of mike kelly tammany boss the girl peggy tells barry how she had met jack in florida and married him as jay rogers jack lost his job and they went to new york where here she got work at the cocoanut Coco anut bar there she was accused of trying to pick the pocket of mike hike kelly and was arrested her husband went to kellys to induce him to drop the charge later kelly was found dead his skull crushed by a decanter barry suggests he ha can help as jack ridder bidder and mrs rogers agrees judge hambidge delivers a decision in the condemnation suit in which kelly had been interested barry cables mrs ridder tor for 2000 winslow takes rogers case darry barry gets a job on the globe under hla his true name the editor ernie harwood assigns him to cover the kelly murder barry suspects the filipino servant of kelly when barry visits visita the the judge denies the accident he witnessed occurred near the scene of the kelly murder where such an accident had occurred patricia bids him watch your step mr glibert gilbert CHAPTER V continued 11 suppose the judge had killed kelly what did that prove im assuming that kelly compelled this decision barry reminded himself well if he did why should it have been filed after the compulsion was removed it was filed the next morning that certainly indicates that the judge knew nothing about kellys death once more barry heard the hall clock strike three im arguing in circles he thought and getting nowhere where ive been getting all week gumming things up too tipping olt off witnesses and making a complete nuisance of myself I 1 said three things were clear and they but two are ive landed myself in a mess and the sooner I 1 get out of it the better for everybody olt if I 1 clear out and let things take their course I 1 might come back some flay day when ive really made good ills his hand still hurt the next morning but the resolution to clear out remained fixed and he was still dreaming some day when ive made good willetts Wll letta interrupted he was serving break breakfast fask at the moment 1 I was talking to evans sir 11 yes 41 telling him what you told me last right sir concerning mrs rogers and the kelly murder evans thinks its very significant what you said bout about kelly expecting somebody after rogers left to ile he does eh yes sir and he be thinks he be can find 0 o it was barry opened his egg ill hed ed like to tell you his scheme sir its no use barry observed curtly ive decided to drop the whole business yes es sir willetts Wll IVIl letts went on serving but there was as disapproval barry in his manner ft t it as lie he had twice before 4 any reason why I 1 drop tor for you to say sir but you think there Is a reason an right sit down and tell me about it 1 I sir my position wont palt of my sitting down la in the presses of my employer it done and your position wont allow ot of you leaving a woman in the lurch clr r it you dont mind my saying DO BO that at doue either in utter amazement barry merely stared at him you see willetts continued to forgetting rg etting quite himself a gent lemans got certain responsibilities T hats what makes him a gentleman you tou said this ladys lad Ys in trouble up to her neck it looks to me sir as if that was a pledge it looks to me as though you were bound to make good no matter batter happened ile he paused and then his own impetus carried him on you tou said ive been a loafer most of my life A loafer might drop the whole business theres no reason he be but it looks to me as it a gentleman ought to carry on sir youre right willetts Wll letts tell evans ill be glad to see him in the library barry the bum had stepped into a gent lemans shoes and found that they had to be kept shining all that willetts Wll letts had said the former M er duke had said to himself over and over again all right for guys with an income barry had argued 9 aed in luxury and papas office sure id run straight why not now he had an income and was oln in luxury and papas office 1 I wont be there long barry thought if I 1 defy pat pal anyway im a gentleman tor for the moment and a gentleman cant abandon ladles ladies in distress pat was a lady in distress too he reflected in trouble up to her neck the way I 1 went on last night he ruminated rumina ted have thought that I 1 thought the judge killed mike what nonsense that harmless old chap if theres any chance of his being involved why then its up to me to find who did the trick ive got two men to get out of difficulties evans found him ready for f or the scheme As I 1 get it from willetts Wll letts evans said somebody telephoned kelly that he was coming right over what would you do after done that sir well what would I 1 do hop in a taxi probably so we want to round up the taxi drivers that were in the beig neighborhood gb boyhood at that time luckily there was an accident willetts Wll letts tells me my plan Is to advertise like as it if we was the relations of the deceased lady fifty dollars reward tor for information leading to spotting the cab that deceased her and then then we third degree everybody that answers the ad did you see the accident how did you happen to be there it might turn the trick evans was full of barrys own zest for sleuthing and quite as eager to jump at conclusions nothing discouraged cou raged him what if the accident had occurred two hours after the probable time of the murder who knew that time exactly and anyway the bait of reward might bring people been in the vicinity long before the disaster it was arranged that the advertisement should instruct applicants to write to box something or other obber at the newspaper and that gave evans another idea why did barry go to town by train why not drive in he could use the car getting around and to give peggy and perhaps the youngster an occasional airing moreover evans was enjoying himself thoroughly reading beading the newspapers sir I 1 ask myself a lot of questions about this here kelly the chink says he be got home around eleven willetts Wll letts says mrs rogers says he left the cocoanut Coco anut bar around nine where did he go then his chauffeur would know he be surprised how bow chauffeurs loosen up to each other 1 I get you simple aint it we find out where kelly garages then I 1 drive you in every sunday and keep the car ln in the same place and I 1 sugar up to the guy that drove kelly it lead to nothing but then again ft sir it t might sir its worth trying and im tremendously obliged to you dont mention it after what you did for the As a matter ot of fact she put the whole thing in my mind ashes just busting to do something for you mrs evans Is suggestions were to followed all of evans the next afternoon and monday by appointment barry brought mrs rogers to winslow harwood certainly had not overstated peters skill at cross examination slating sitting opposite peggy the attorney led her gently into reminiscence from which again and again he leizea seized upon leading to possible a word or a phrase as material for the defense def ensa for the first time the thing thin 9 took on pattern winslow running about in a maze but an finding a beginning and an end taking care too that there should be no opening for ills his opponents of which he had been unaware casually verifying every statement jack had made to him tell the story in your own way mrs rogers did your husband say anything about getting even when he be left you no ti what time was that what time did he return gone long was he not really long enough for a violent quarrel ive told you peggy declared they were drinking together and then the phone rang how do you know it rang jack heard beard it and he heard someone answer it someone jack sure whether it was kelly or the filipino Fill pino they were both 1 1 1 t A wo I 1 ae d and why do you think it might have been she in the hall anyway kelly came back and said he was expecting somebody did he say whom no 10 did he say whether it was a man or a woman 1 I dont think so peggy paused but it mIght ve been a woman peter P eter nodded to barry cherches Cher chez la in femme 1 I got another idea peggy went on it been the platinum blonde the what the platinum blonde violet fane ashes one of the girls at the cocoanut Coco anut bar ind and why do you think it might have been she well peggy said she knew kelly shed just left him when he accused me of picking his pocket and mo janod been talking to her just before that she mIght ve phoned kelly to get me off winslow made a note of this ill find out he promised the interview lasted nearly two hours and gave both of the visitors fresh confidence indict jack winslow prophesied as his bis callers were going probably today but dont let that worry you A grand jury hears only one side wen well do our talking at the trial when will that be As soon as possible were ready now they have no case just the filipinos evidence that jack was there we admit that but we deny either a motive or a quarrel it if the filipino says he heard one well I 1 suppose e mr ridders bidders given you his answer to that yes hes got brains all right ll 11 barry told peggy in the elevator yes tes peggy returned a bit throat lly fly hes got brains and a heart the grand jury found a true bill against jay rogers that afternoon and barry was off on a quest of his own it if that was a woman he decided we bother any more about the judge and it if I 1 can catch that filipino napping 7 winslow had warned him against tipping our hand all right barry thought ill be careful this time the cagey oriental answered his ring barrys last visit had been with tim laugherty charlie and mrs kuy kelly tor for that matter bad assumed WIND service i that he was another detective the F was plainly startled nobody Is home bome he be sald said conclusively alv e ayure 1 Y youre home arent you yon and youre the fellow I 1 want to ask a few questions 1 I dont know nothing the butler insisted you sou know who telephoned kelly the night of the murder r charlies putty face turned two shades lighter 1 I thought so barry said and it if you dont want to go straight to jail better tell me about it 1 I dont know nothing all right come along charlie reconsidered you mean the lady that telephoned who I 1 mean who was she I 1 1 I dont know she give any name or leave any message no sir came around here though afterward she no sir somebody did barry persisted after young rogers went 1 I dont know s you tou let anyone in no sir did kelly let her in 1 I dont know but he knew she was coming 1 I dont know youre loure lying barry exclaimed you tou told kelly no sir the butler replied very positively when the lady phoned mr kelly he home yet what do you mean he home at midnight the lady telephone tele P hone at midnight harllee charlie said obviously bewildered it was eight ocl ock when the lady phoned but you told him that no the filipino answered 01 1 I tell nobody nothing who did telephone around mid night 1 I dont know mr kelly answered that time but you yon were in the hall ball yes sir mr kelly was sore at you why the filipino went pale only for an instant however then he smiled mr kelly not sore he said him very jolly that night all right barry observed no tipping our hand this time all right and thanks his tone was that of a man completely satisfied late that afternoon barry took peg and the boy driving in the park peggy put a brave face on it but fear was clutching her it if anything went wrong she said TO BE CONTINUED |